Dinner: Montreal Steak Seasoning Encrusted Salmon with Saffron Rice and Green Beans

 

Birds On My Deck: 19 SEP 26

 The ravages of Avian Flu have really compounded the loss of bird numbers.  It wasn't that many years ago when I could count on seeing a dozen species of birds in a morning/early afternoon of reading and hanging out on my deck.  This past weekend I only saw for, and honesty one of those I only heard--the Blue Jay!  

There were also a pair of chatty Carolina Wrens, a pair of Cardinals, with a particularly curious female, and a trio of Black-capped Chickadees.  

CARDINAL, Cardinalis cardinalis

The male Cardinal is the most red of all birds.  It is this red that, in fact, gives it its name!  They are stunning creatures, but I think the female is lovelier than the male.  She is not a one hue wonder, but wears a gown of many colors: taupe and tan, gray and white, cream and khaki and that brilliant orange beak.  

BLACK-CAPPED CHICKADEE, Poecile atricapillus

Many birds find admirers among humans for their apparent faithfulness in coupling.  And many birds do pair up for life.  But many others don't; we just don't know them well enough to recognize their infidelity.  And some find comfort in flock-mentality.  Robins do.  Have you ever noticed that?  When I find one, watch, others will be nearby.  

For me, two species in particular seem given over to the intercourse of many: Gold Finches and Black-capped Chickadees.  Of late in my world when either appear in my yard, they are rarely in any significant numbers.  Perhaps even just one.  It's sad.  On this day, I counted at least 3, but possibly 5 Chickadees together.

Signature Theatre: Merrily We Roll Along

 Another Sondheim Triumph for Signature Theatre further ensconcing their well deserved and painstakingly earned title of the #1 regional theatre company for Sondheim productions.  What the Royal Shakespeare Theatre in London is for the old Bard, Signature is for America's greatest modern creator of musical theatre.  Based on a play written by George S. Kaufman and Moss Hart in 1934, it is the story of three friends told in reverse chronological order.  More than a gimmick, it's a window into a world with a Happy Beginning--which is the musical's ending.  

When it was originally produced on Broadway in 1981.  It was a legendary FLOP!--closing after only 16 performances.  A pair of revivals: one off-Broadway in 1994, and the other in the West End in London in 2000, breathed new life into the show and became the impetus for a new Broadway Production that premiered in 2023.  It was feted at the Tony's in the category of Revival of a Musical and won all sorts of awards for the production, actors, orchestration.   What Audiences (all 60 of them: 44 in previews, and 16 during the run) didn't get in 1981; the world has come to not only understand, but love in 2026.

The cast was made up of A-list actors from the leads down to the swings, and a trio of local favorites had the rolls of Charlie Gringas (Jake Loewenthal), Gussie Carnegie (Maria Rizzo) and Jo Josephson (James Whalen).  Joining Jake in the Friends Trio were Jason Gotay (as Franklin Shepard) and Melanie Field (as Mary Flynn).  When every gem is a diamond, what do you choose to place in the jewelry shop window?

Let's start with Jake Loewenthal.  His performance as the disgruntled sidekick was amazing.  He elevated the smallest opportunity to a spotlight moment.  His delivery of the song "Franklin Shepherd, Inc." received the greatest intra-show applause of the evening and well deservedly so!  All three of the principals were terrific, and each had their own dynamic moments, but Jake just gave it that ounce more of magic.

Next up, the Ensemble.  As much as I enjoyed all the solos, duets, trios, etc. it was the ensemble pieces with the carefully coordinated choreography and precise vocal timing that brought me to the edge of my seat time and again.  It was like watching a well oiled machine execute a complex maneuver effortlessly.  Kudos to: Joel Ashur, Ben Beckley, Lindsay Nicole Chambers, Eric Easter, Jonah Ho'Okano, Stephen Russell Murray, Beatrice Owens, Sarah Anne Sillers, and Alondra Trinidad-Colon.  While it is a sort of trademark of a Sondheim show to weave a tale where the total is greater than the sum of its parts, this production brought that old adage to life in real time flesh and blood.

Finally, the dressings.  The set was both beautiful and supremely functional at the same time.  The Costumes were sumptuous drivers of the chronological reverse movement from 1976 back to 1957.  Shout outs to both Wilson Chin for the Scenic Design and Ivania Stack for the Costumes.  The pic orchestra was also a joy, and honestly, after last evening, I think the overture to Merrily is now my favorite from all of Sondheim's shows.

I have no doubt that had I had the opportunity to see Jonathan Groff, Daniel Radcliff and Lindsay Mendez perform this show on Broadway, it would have been wonderful!  But I don't feel like what I experienced with Jason Gotay, Jake Loewenthal and Melanie Fields in the lead was one iota less wonderful.  Because it was!   

Jason Gotay as Franklin, Melanie Fields as Mary and Jake Loewenthal as Charles performing "Old Friends"

The company performing "Merrily We Roll Along".

Members of the company.  Jason Gotay as Franklin Shepherd standing on the piano center.  L-R:  Sophia Early, [unknown], Eric Easter, Jake Loewenthal, Alondra Trinidad-Colon, Maria Rizzo (as Gussie Carnegie), James Whalen (as Joe Josephson), Melanie Fields, Beatrice Owens, Kerstin Anderson (as Beth Shepherd), Joel Ashur, [unknown], and Stephen Russell Murray

The full company "First Transition"

Jake Loewenthal performing "Franklin Shepherd Inc." with Jason Gotay

L-R James Whalen, Kerstin Anderson, Jason Gotay, Melanie Fields, and Jake Loewenthal singing "It's a Hit"

Marie Rizzo featured in "The Blob - Part 1"

"Our Time"

Here's to us ---

Who's like us?

Damn few!

The Energy Is Favoring The Democrats

 Based on the latest polling the energy is definitely in the direction of a Shellacking in the House of Representatives.  The effect of Republican redistricting is nearly a bust with only 3 of the more than a dozen newly minted seats favoring Republicans; while redrawn Democratic seats and weakened Republican seats are on their way of yielding 7 new Democratic members.

Dinner: Stir Fry Vegetables over Egg Noodles

 

Keegan Theatre: Gruesome Playground Injuries

 A confession, the title and the playwright intrigued me.  So I bought a ticket.  Just before going to day I say that it was just a two person play.  The only thing more tedious than a mediocre performance by actors in a two person play is a mediocre performance of an actor in a one person play!  Upon entering the lobby--I was a bit early, I joined in with a couple and another man in a conversation about plays and actors we'd seen in productions both at Keegan and at 1st Stage and Olney Theatre Center.  It was a lovely conversation, and I got some nice scoop on a couple of actors.  As much as I feel like I know some of these actors, I am completely oblivious as to what they are up to when they are not on the stage.  This gave a nice ambiance to the start of the experience. 

Then I entered the theatre after the stage doors opened and was gobsmacked by the beautifully balanced set with a slightly over-sized swing set and jungle gym set smack dab in the middle, ensconced on a giant rotating circular platform in the floor.  Another level of excitement passed over me.  And then the lights went down only to rise again revealing the actors Lena (Kayleen) played by Irene Hamiltons and Doug played by Jimmy Bartlebaugh engaged in a vigorous swinging competition as there 6-year-old selves at a parochial school in some mid-western city.  Sitting in seat 2B I wondered whether one or both of them might soon end up in my lap!  The chemistry between the two actors was immediately obvious and electric and all my silly worries disappeared in that instance.

The play is a series of vignettes between these two friends that tells the story of how that friendship came to be, and more importantly why it remains the single most important thing in their adult lives.  While the first vignette has them at 6.  The others pop up with a lighted projection on the top of the wall stage rear and bounce around in a random eruption that takes us from 22 to 32 to 13 to 26 to 38 and others in between.  The writing is fresh and unpredictable in an authentic way.  The surprises make perfect sense as we weather the storms of their lives.  The pain is palpable at times leaving visual scars, and Doug is so accident prone that it's a wonder he's still alive at the end of the play.

The actors rose to the challenge of playing such flawed and vulnerable, lost and found, devoted and disappointed faithful friends.  The standing ovation at the end was richly deserved and now I have two more actors to be on the lookout for when selecting my next round of DMV theatre adventures.  Shout out to the entire production team: Scenic Design by Josh Sticklin, Properties & Set Dressing Design by Amy Kellett, Lighting Design by Hailey LaRoe, Sound Design by Brandon Cook (just the perfect soundtrack of angst ridden music from the 2000's and fireworks and first responder's vehicles and electrical storms that shook my seat!, oh my!), Costume & Hair/Make-up/Prosthetics Design by Alison Samantha Johnson.

As they actors bounced from one age to another, they effected costume and make-up changes dashing between clothing concealed in sandboxes, steel oil drums, cardboard boxes, as the playground rotated on its axis and the lights dimmed with music appropriate to the next year they were about to entered played under it all.  It was some of the most unusual and interesting choreography I've ever seen in pursuit of such a goal.  

Top to Bottom an excellent production.

Lena and Doug, age 6, on the swings at school.

Age 8, Doug pretends he's Evel Knievel and rides his bike off of the roof of the school gashing his cheek bone just beneath his left eye...  and so it begins.

At 19, Doug loses his left eye in a fireworks accident.  At the age of 28 he is struck by lightning and ends up in a comma.  Lena's life is pure shit by then.  Abandoned by her mother at age 14, and rejected by her father who dies when she is 18--facing the loss of Doug exposes her deeper feelings about their friendship.

At 16, Lena reveals that she is having sex with a boy named Tim.  Doug does not approve, and Lena reveals that she'd hoped it would fill the void in her life created by her parents, but it doesn't.  Then Doug discovers that she's been cutting herself and demands that she cut him, too.  If there was ever a moment in a play that had me on the edge of my seat so full of emotions that I just wanted to scream...this was that moment.

Doug, ever the master of perfect timing has knocked out a tooth on the day of Lena's father's funeral.  The scene ends with him leaving to ignite some fireworks...(and we all knew how that was going to turn out.)

LEGO: Medieval Village Rises Atop My File Cabinet.

 With so many LEGOs, I really do need to find more ways to enjoy the ones I already have rather than buy more!  Ergo, I recently cleared away the items that had called the top of my Ethan Allen Shaker Office File and replaced them with a slopping green LEGO incline making room for the creation of a Medieval Village and Viking Out Post.

Back around 1980, LEGO made the first of many decisions that would lead to its current global success.  Designers were allowed to diversify their creations around a series of themes.   The first included: Space Exploration, Medieval Kingdoms, Caribbean Pirates, and an exploration of Urban Life that branched out along many sub-themes like, Train transportation, Air transportation, Police, Fire Fighters, Harbors and Boats/Ships.  It was a heady start that in retrospect looks humble by today's LEGO diversity with franchise contracts and dozens upon dozens of diverse themes.  

Of the first three mentioned themes (Space, Kingdoms and Pirates) there was a deeply pugilistic element.  Sets were developed with two teams (good and evil).  There were soon Space Police.  Kingdoms and castles came with mascots (Wolves, Ravens, Lions, Elk, Dragons...) to help us create conflicts.  And for every (on average) male LEGO person, there was 1 female.  The odds were much better with the Urban sub-themed sets, but still skewed to male LEGO people.

Now, this new approach proved wildly successful, even if it took a few lean years to catch on.  LEGO is one of the most savvy corporations on the planet.  As more themes emerged, and first sets reflecting corporate sponsorships arrived (Indiana Jones, etc.) a growing movement to elevate girls found bloom in 2012 with the introduction of the "Friends" series.  By now, conflict between two opposing "teams" had also disappeared from the story-lines presented other themes.  

For the Medieval sets, this meant that Castles became more about commerce and social intercourse.  The Villages within and without the Castles took on an elevated presence.  

The blank slope foundation with the Viking Village to form a coast on the right side.

From the 2009 Medieval Village Market

Back to my office File Cabinet.  My construction focused on a Medieval Village rather than building a Castle, per se.  Though I have tons of bricks in storage from the multitude of castle sets.  I began with the two cantilevered buildings from the 2009 Medieval Market Village (10193) set.  I opened them up and placed them on the upper end of the slope along with a Cheese Mongers stand.  Next, it was 2011's Medieval Mill Village Raid (7189) set which came with both a Barn and a Windmill.

The Aforementioned Viking Village (21343) from 2023 was nestled up against the right edge and the barn.  This left a generous central space that I occupied with the two main structures from the 2024 Medieval Town Square set.  Once in place, I created from scratch a pig sty mimicking the same thematic design elements.  The final touches (still ongoing) bring in the people with their horses, cows, pigs, sheep and chickens.  The little mill creek even has a couple of ducks!  

Enjoy these pics!

The Chickens are pecking close to the barn.

The community windmill where all the grain is ground into sacks of flour.

Nextdoor is a garden with Carrots, Turnips and Pumpkins.

There's also a beehive where honey is harvested.

The remnants of an old castle watch tower is still guarded by a pair of old knights.

While a nearby herd of pigs is watched over by a village youth.

Morning breaks with horses awaiting the services of the blacksmith, and a young boy feeding the ducks.

Evening's final light falls upon one of the old knights atop the ancient watch tower.